Cultural effects on consumer perception of corporate reputation

Reputation is an intangible asset and an economic value which provides organizations with sustainable competitive advantage in existing markets. From the point of view of current literature the standpoint that asserts the presence of a linear relationship between competitive advantage and corporate reputation has gained considerable recognition. In this regard, reputation is embraced as a strategic resource within organizational scope. The literature has grown to maturity regarding the approaches and methods dealing with calculating reputation quotients of organizations. The main contribution of this survey to existing literature, however, is that it determines the factors prioritized by consumers and the correlative supremacy of aforesaid factors via the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method in a way that exhibits an unprecedented model at a level of factors. AHP is a decision making technique that measures objective and subjective criteria via binary comparisons and determine the order of importance of these criteria upon ascertaining the precedences. As the survey has been sustained in two divergent cultures, it has two samples and populations. With the poll conducted based on random sampling by virtue of its representative strength, reputation perceptions of the two different cultural groups have been compared and the main factors shaping their perceptions and the attributed order of importance has been determined. Consequently, It has been ascertained that the factors constituting the reputation perceptions of consumers differ considerably between cultures. Furthermore, a new suggestion has been put forward, which means that the scale having 23 items can also be applied with 7 items. Key Words: Corporate Reputation, Perceived Reputation, Reputation Management